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Sun, 18 Feb 2018 15:05:01 +0800Joomla! - Open Source Content Managementen-gbThis Job Is the 'Polar Opposite' of Being a Jewelerhttp://instoremag.com/fun-stuff/24859-this-job-is-the-polar-opposite-of-being-a-jeweler
http://instoremag.com/fun-stuff/24859-this-job-is-the-polar-opposite-of-being-a-jeweler

If you ever wanted to do something completely different, this is it.

If you're like most people, you've wondered what your life would be like if you'd taken a completely different path.

But for a jeweler, what would that mean? A New York Times feature helps to answer that question.

The newspaper looked at various jobs and determined what their "polar opposite" would be. It based its analysis on U.S. Labor Department data outlining the tasks and skills associated with each job.

As it turns out, the opposite of a jeweler is a physicist.

Many people in the jewelry industry fall into the Labor Department's category of "Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers." Among the top skills for that work are finger dexterity, visual color discrimination and "judging the quantifiable characteristics of things, services or people."

That's apparently very different from the role of a physicist, who needs skills such as mathematical reasoning, information ordering and "ability to organize groups in different ways."

Others in the jewelry fit into the Labor Department category of "Retail Salespersons." Some of their top skills include service orientation, persuasion and sales and marketing.

Once again, that's apparently the exact opposite of what a physicist does; the jobs are deemed to be opposites.

The focus on physicists is not as random as it may sound. It's the job that, along with "model," appeared most often as an opposite in the New York Times' feature. That means it's highly distinctive in terms of the skills it uses and doesn't use.

(PRESS RELEASE) Toronto, OH – Neil Travis, president of First Jewelry, the exclusive distributor of Persona, has announced his retirement and exit from the jewelry business after a career spanning more than 40 years. The decision comes amid recognizing the rapidly changing marketplace despite the success of the Persona brand.

Known for its selection of sterling silver jewelry, Persona gained success through its portfolio of iconic licenses, e-commerce and retail distribution to become a major force in the silver charm business. Beginning only eight years ago, Persona experienced dramatic growth and expanded from the North American market to become an international brand, carried by over 1,000 retail locations in Canada, the U.S. and the UK.

In recent years, Persona’s brand growth and popularity were driven by unique and iconic licensed collections that gained the attention of consumers worldwide. The strategy proved to be so effective with the exceptional success of the Peanuts by Persona collection that the brand introduced three additional licenses featuring The Beatles, emoji and Coca-Cola — all icons of popular culture for diverse and cross-generational fans to love and collect.

However, these successes were offset by the decision of the brand’s largest retail partner to exit the silver charm business in its mall-based stores, resulting in a dramatic decrease in revenue through the latter of 2017.

“Although the business and positioning strategy was sound and the onboarding of new Persona Partners continued to grow over the past year, after more than 40 years of manufacturing, marketing and merchandising in the jewelry business, it seems like the right time for me to retire”, said Travis.

Though the business has been slated to close on March 30 of this year, Travis also expressed an interest in seeing the Persona brand live on and is currently making every effort to transition the business to another company and/or investor to capitalize on what continues to be viable and a growth opportunity.

When Zoe Kravitz walked onto the red carpet at the Emmys in two diamond necklaces by Tiffany & Co., an age-old classic style quickly became popular again. The necklaces are called rivières (“river of diamonds”). Variations range from the traditional larger diamonds in graduated multi-strand styles to smaller melee set all around channel looks. Current versions are usually choker length and make a good case for either upgrading or layering with the fabric chokers from a few years back.

(PRESS RELEASE) NEW YORK – Christopher Designs announces the appointment of Margaret Becker to the position of vice president of sales, effective immediately.

Becker has been with the company for 14 years, holding several key roles, including her most recent position as sales executive manager. Her passion for sales was ignited when she was tapped to expand Christopher Designs overseas. As a result, Becker grew the business into a multi-million-dollar revenue stream. In her new role, she will be responsible for the sales growth of the organization and manage the company’s U.S. sales representatives.

“Margaret has demonstrated true commitment to the company over the years,” said Christopher Slowinski, president and CEO of Christopher Designs. “She quickly made a name for herself with both our retail distribution channel and our vendors. She knows our business and has developed a great understanding of the industry and its complexities. She is the perfect person to spearhead our growth plans.”

“Having spent time in nearly every aspect of the Christopher Design business, it’s provided me with education and knowledge to now take on this leadership role,” said Becker. “The unique benefits that Christopher Designs can offer a retailer are key to helping them differentiate our product and remain profitable in today’s market. I look forward to deepening relationships with our retail partners and to taking our sales to the next level.”

]]>FeaturedShine PressNewsFri, 16 Feb 2018 00:01:59 +0800Here Are the Watches That Top CEOs Are Wearinghttp://instoremag.com/shine-times/24847-here-are-the-watches-that-top-ceos-are-wearing
http://instoremag.com/shine-times/24847-here-are-the-watches-that-top-ceos-are-wearing

They range from commonplace to ultra-luxury.

Business Insider has published a piece looking at the watches being work by top executives of the world's largest and best-known corporations.

The website quotes Hamilton Powell, CEO of online watch marketplace Crown & Caliber, saying a watch "tells people about the type of person you are and what you value."

Not surprisingly, the timepieces worn by the 11 featured CEOs run the gamut from commonplace to ultra-luxury.

Near the lower end of the price scale is the $479 Citizen Skyhawk A-T JY0000-53E worn by Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart.

The highest-priced watch on the list, meanwhile, is the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5119G worn by Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Corp. It sells for $21,500.

Among the other executives included in Business Insider's feature are Jeff Bezos of Amazon, John Hammergren of McKesson and Mark Fields of Ford Motor Co.

]]>FeaturedShine TimesNewsThu, 15 Feb 2018 00:05:08 +0800How to Avoid Bugging Your Best Clients, What to Do If A Competitor Is Trying to Poach A Staffer, and More Tips for This Monthhttp://instoremag.com/know-how/tip-sheet/24671-how-to-avoid-bugging-your-best-clients-what-to-do-if-a-competitor-is-trying-to-poach-a-staffer-and-more-tips-from-this-issue-s-ask-instore
http://instoremag.com/know-how/tip-sheet/24671-how-to-avoid-bugging-your-best-clients-what-to-do-if-a-competitor-is-trying-to-poach-a-staffer-and-more-tips-from-this-issue-s-ask-instore

How can I ensure a prospective custom client doesn’t steal my ideas?

For many jewelers, CAD has changed the game and they don’t release any designs or sketches until the customer has paid a deposit or a sitting fee that can be put toward the final purchase price. Still, if there were a consensus view when we put this question to our 700-strong Brain Squad, it is that successful custom necessitates a free exchange of ideas and developing a close relationship with the customer. And that requires trust. “I give away all my ideas. On our note paper. With a quote. If they choose us (because we’re awesome), more power to them. If not, they probably aren’t our ideal client! If you win them over with fresh ideas and honesty, you will have a customer for life,” says Jennifer Farnes, the owner of Revolution Jewelry Works in Colorado Springs, CO.

How do I not bug my best customers with follow up?

We applaud your thinking. Existing customers are your best prospects and likely to be your greatest source of additional sales, but too few jewelers have a follow-up system in place. The secret is to make them feel special. Let your best customers know when new merchandise will be coming in, and especially, if you decide to put it on sale. Second, offer them special services such as a free regular cleaning service, free appraisals, and keep notes about the little things in their lives that you can bring up in conversation later. Final point: Don’t worry so much. Most times customer will be happy to hear from you. Effective follow-up doesn’t have to be more than a customized handwritten note, postcard or phone call once every six months with some personal detail.

I suspect a rival is trying to poach one of my best sales associates. Should I try to pre-empt them with a pay raise?

Happy employees don’t leave for a small amount of additional money, so the first thing to do is sit down with your associate and see if there are things you can do to remove any frustrations from her current work life or if there are perks (more flex time?) or professional challenges (responsibility for a big marketing campaign?) that could tempt her to stay. Throwing money at them is unlikely to help if you don’t remove what’s unsettled them in the first place. Staff churn is a natural part of business life, especially in a strong economy like today’s, and non-compete agreements are a blunt tool that workers resent. A better approach is to foster a great culture. Check in with your team periodically to make sure employees feel challenged, engaged and appreciated.

Lately, my father seems to be working less and taking more cash out. There has always been an understanding that I’d eventually buy the store. I want to grow it, but I can’t unless we start reinvesting our profits.

Well, it is your father’s store. He built it. He’s at a different stage of life and wants something different than you do. That’s the joy of being the founder, and the curse of being the successor. Still, you don’t necessarily have to buy it. In fact, you may decide your future lies elsewhere (spend some time with something like David Brown’s gap analysis to see if the store can deliver the lifestyle you want). If separate paths looks like the best option, you obviously want to leave on good terms. Bring in a mediator. Sit down with your father (and mother) and lay out your plans. Reassure him you want to come up with a plan that allows both of you to achieve your goals. And do it soon. Otherwise, you’ll be 10 years older; your father will still be alive, hopefully; and you’ll be in the same position you’re in today.

What are some good innocuous questions to determine someone’s budget?

We asked this question in our 2015 Big Survey and a not-insignificant proportion of jewelers — more than 20 percent — said it’s simply wasting people’s time if you’re less than direct. Their approach: just straight up ask how much they want to spend with an inquiry such as “Did you have a budget in mind?” There were also some lighter-hearted variations of this that we liked, such as:

Did you want to be closer to $10 or $100,000?

Are you looking for something that will make your friends wonder if you won the lottery, or just if you got a promotion?

Is this a big bling event or a little bling event?

Or ask about their jewelry buying history:

Tell me about some of the other jewelry you have bought.

Or the reason for the purchase:

Are you shopping for a special occasion?

What are you celebrating?

Who are you celebrating?

Finally, there’s the “goods first” approach:

What do you think about this? (And then watch their reaction.)

How do you like this one? Is it too big, too small?

This article originally appeared in the February 2018 edition of INSTORE.

The event is set for May 6-8.

(Press Release) CARAT+ has announced that more than 90 percent of its exhibitors from the 2017 edition will return for the second edition in May 2018.

The event takes place May 6, 7 and 8 at the Antwerp Expo in Antwerp, Belgium.

The latest figures reveal high levels of satisfaction among exhibitors and a shared commitment to make CARAT+ the most successful diamond event in the world, said Filip Van Laere, founder and event director.

The second edition of CARAT+ will feature a maximum of 150 exhibitors, including a number of interesting service providers that require much larger spaces located in Hall 1. They will be joined by diamond suppliers, manufacturers, diamond jewelry brands and colored gemstone specialists in Hall 4 of Antwerp Expo.

“Our objective is clear: we are aiming for substantially more visitors for roughly the same number of exhibitors,” said Van Laere. “We want to maximise the return on investment for our returning exhibitors and partners who took the plunge with us during our first edition. In 2018, we understand that ‘visitor experience’ is the keyword for the continued success of CARAT+, and we are excited to reveal various activities and partnerships in due course. To date, we already feel visitor interest in the second edition of CARAT+ rising, which is a very positive sign.”

Italian fine jeweler Roberto Coin will exhibit his eponymous brand at CARAT+ for the second time in May. He said: "Antwerp is the place where the best players of the diamond industry provide the highest quality stones. After all, Antwerp has one of the biggest diamond bourses in the world and is home to many of the largest diamond companies. I am coming back to CARAT+ for the second time because, last year, I was very pleased to be part of a serious event that offered a new opportunity for the jewelry world to choose from the widest selection of diamonds."

CARAT+ offers a meeting place for buying, networking and debating the future of the diamond industry. Launched in 2017, the event attracted more than 3,000 visitors and 130 exhibitors in its first year alone. Partners and sponsors who have joined CARAT+ for the 2018 edition include Main Partner AWDC (Antwerp World Diamond Centre), plus ABN AMRO; motor company, Bentley; security expert Brinks; Brussels Airlines; insurance broker Driesassur; education and certification world-authority GIA (Gemological Institute of America) and industry media specialist Rapaport.

TIP: DON'T FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE

WHY IT IS TRUE: An irate customer or even an employee can quickly disrupt the professional activities in your store.

PLAN OF ACTION: Resist raising your voice. Move the upset individual from the showroom into your office. Close the door, ask them to please sit in a chair, and pull up a chair yourself. Rather than trying to compete with them with an argument, start by asking serious open-ended questions. This will begin to get the individual sharing their anger. By leaning forward in your chair, you will convey your concern and sincerity. Maintain eye contact at all times. Rather than giving an ultimatum, provide them an opportunity to resolve the problem themselves. When the flame is extinguished, shake their hand and move on.

This article originally appeared in the February 2018 edition of INSTORE.

NEW YORK — The Diamond Producers Association's Real is a Diamond platform partnered with The NBCU Content Studio on new custom video content launching during the live on-air and digital broadcast of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

“The Making of a Gem” video shorts were developed to showcase the similarities between the unique journey of an athlete on the rise and a diamond, according to a press release. Three videos were created through the perspectives of a snowboarder, an ice skating duo and a women’s ice hockey team "to demonstrate the natural forces and elements that forge both diamond and competitor."

“The breadth of common themes was surprisingly rich, and made for seamless and layered storytelling,” said Deborah Marquardt, chief marketing officer for the Diamond Producers Association. “Like diamonds, the immense pressure and the deep inner forces competitors must endure in order to grow strong, find their edge and ultimately shine is an ideal narrative to explore during our most cherished and meaningful celebration of sport and human connection”.

Stylist Tanya Dukes chose the featured jewelry, explaining, “In each film, we styled the athletes in realistic, current diamond jewelry that they’d actually wear, including some of their own pieces. The jewelry was an authentic part of their personal style.”

“Having a partner like Real is a Diamond enabled us to develop these unique stories, connect with an exciting cultural moment, and bring diamonds to audiences in contextually relevant environments both on and off the NBCU portfolio,” said Wendy Wildfeuer, senior vice president, NBCU Content Studio.

“The Making of a Gem” series launched across NBCUniversal’s digital and social platforms on Febr. 5 and was set to begin airing on the linear networks on Feb. 10. The films will be distributed through NBCUniversal’s portfolio-wide platform across social, video programming and the company’s strategic partnerships with Apple News and Vox Media. Videos and supplemental content will also run on Real is a Diamond-owned and operated channels, as well as in cinema.

He's taking a very straightforward approach.

As the jewelry industry frets about how to appeal to millennials, who don't always seem to hold diamonds in the same regard that older generations do, Colorado jewelry designer Todd Reed isn't content to sit and ponder the issue.

He's asking the target market directly, the Daily Camera reports.

Boulder-based Todd Reed Jewelry has started a nationwide "listening campaign" to find out what the younger generation really thinks, according to the newspaper.

Reed has noted that millennial customers are often less interested in diamonds as a status symbol and more concerned with getting something unique. They sometimes tell him, "I want something really cool that doesn't look like I've spent a lot of money," the Daily Camera reports.

Margot Ricci said she and her fiance, Austin Bush, were happy to be among the first half-dozen couples in Boulder to be part of one of the jeweler's listening events. She said she appreciated the fact that "someone wanted to tell a positive story about me as a millennial."

Todd Reed Jewelry also recently announced the launch of its Forged Your Own Way bridal set giveaway. The one month digital campaign, which was set to launch on Feb. 14, asks millennials to submit a short video detailing how they are forging their own way in life and love. The winner, to be announced in April, will receive a complimentary set of wedding bands.